The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-12-17

in Albert Smiths Pictures of Life," under the title of "Blanche Heriot a Legend of Chertsey Church." the time of action being not Cromwells, but during the wars of the Roses. After letting himself loose on these particulars, he concludes by saying: "The authoress of the 'Curfew' has complained of interruptions persons filching from her the credit of her poem. wonder what answer she will make to this should it ever meet her eye" Let us see what this cap- tious gentleman's fiZZle amounts to. In the first place, it is more than probable that the authoress of "Cur- few" has never seen or heard of "Pic- lures of Life," or the story he refers to. I am not aware that Albert Smiths "Pictures of Life" ever had more than an ephemeral circulation, and though, of course, Mrs. Thorpe may be the one out of hundred who has read it, she is far more likely to be amongst the ninety nine who haven't. Even supposing she had, I don't see what there is for her to answer" am not aware that Rose Hartwick Thorpe ever claimed to be the originator of the story she has versified for all time The incident is matter of history, and was so years before Albert Smith wrote his "Pictures of Life" Hence hold that Mrs. Thorpe was equally as much at liberty to turn the incident to &C., count in verse as Albert Smith in prose. That Mrs. Thorpe does not complain of filching without sufficient reason, I can personally bear out, for the book market here is positively flooded with editions de lune of her poems, out of which the publishers must be making fabulous prof ts. These greedy, grasping thieves of pub- fishers are the ones who should be called upon to "answer."
 A welcome contrast 10 this we'll founded charge of "filching" is the prompt denial I am enabled to give to statement in the Philadelphia Re- cord respecting Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe's treatment by London pub- fishers. The Record asserts that though a million copies of "Uncle Toms Cabin" were sold in this coun- try, "not a single penny did Mrs. Stowe receive from the gallant and gentlemanly Britishers" Now, Mir. Mayson M. Beeton informs me that his father, the late s. O. Beeton, who was the first publisher to introduce "Uncle Toms Cabin" into Great Brit ain, went across to New York ex- pressly to present Mrs. Stowe with 800 pounds, which he afterwards in- creased on his return home by a fur ther remittance of 250 pounds. What has the Record to say to this? There is no reason for doubting MT. Bee- tons word. Beeton is a time- -honored name in England. No man did more for the reading public in his day by the introduction of cheap, useful lit erature than the late s. O. Beeton. One of my earliest and most treasured recOllections is the excellent Boys Oscm Mdgdztne he used to publish, and who has not heard of MT. Beeton's cookery books? How many of our mothers learned to cook from them-girls learned to cook Men-when they were young!
 The mention of "Ruddygore" in a former portion of this letter reminds me that the last drop has been shed. The public have had enough of it, and their old familiar "Pinafore," revived, restored and rejuvenated, now reigns in its stead. l question whether we shall ever hear of "Ruddygore" again. Like Iolanthe," it was not born to live. Even trial before a packed jury of newspaper critics failed to procure judgment in its favor. When you give us another, Messrs. Gilbert & Sullivan, let it be something good, another Patience" or, what is better still, another "Mikado." The revival of "Pinafore," in the absence of any thing new, has proved good spec, especially as the piece as now pre- sented is more lavishly staged and mounted than ever it was before. In common with many other press men l have been trying hard to pick up something reliable about Messrs Gil bert & Sullivan's next move. You might as we'll, however, try to pick up gold in the streets of this metrop- oils.
 Wild Dissipation in Boston.
 | Boston Transcript.
 A certain schoolgirl used always l <n lNn hao H.sa q. -..l Al